1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing device for heat-development processing of a photosensitive material onto which an image has been exposed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional print processing systems had the capability of long-term storage of an image on a developed photographic film. Thus, even after the image had been printed on a print, this capability served as a memory for storing primary data and was used during reprinting.
In some developing devices, an exposed photographic film is coated with an image-formation processing solution, water, at a coating apparatus, then superposed with a developing member containing an image-forming chemical, wound around a heating drum and heat-processed for a predetermined duration. Then the photographic film and the developing member are peeled apart. As a result, the film""s image is made into a visible image.
In such a developing device, development processing is completed before chemical reaction processes have come to a complete stop. Therefore, chemical reactions may gradually proceed during storage of the developed photographic film. Thus, the film does not have long-term storageability. Consequently, there is a need for image information on the photographic film to be read and recorded at a separate recording means.
On the other hand, in such a heat-developing device, the image information on the photographic film does not necessarily vanish immediately after the image information has been read; the image may gradually alter and disappear over a period of several days or weeks. Therefore, some measures have to be taken in order to prevent the image information on the photographic film from being read again and duplicated, so that confidentiality (uniqueness) of image information recorded at the recording means is guaranteed.
The present invention is provided to solve the above-described problem and an object of the present invention is to guarantee confidentiality (uniqueness) of image information recorded at a recording means, by destroying photographic film of which image information has been read.
A first aspect of the present invention is a device for developing photosensitive material on which an image has been exposed, the device including: (a) a developing apparatus for performing heat-development processing of the photosensitive material; (b) an image reader disposed for receiving the photosensitive material from the developing apparatus and reading an image thereon, the image reader producing electronic image information corresponding to the read image; (c) an information recording apparatus which receives the electronic image information from the image reader and records the electronic image information; and (d) an image destroying apparatus disposed for receiving the photosensitive material from the image reader, and destroying the image.
In this aspect, the image information of the photosensitive material from which the image information has been read is destroyed. Thus, the confidentiality of the image information is reliably assured.
A second aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the image destroying apparatus completes destruction of the image before the photosensitive material is ejected outside the device. That is, reproducible primary data is destroyed before being made available to a person. Thus, the confidentiality of the image is reliably assured.
A third aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the information recording apparatus, when recording the electronic image information, marks the recorded electronic image information for indicating that the information is primary data. Consequently, it can be confirmed that the electronic image information is designated as a master.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the image destroying apparatus includes a light-flashing apparatus which produces a flash for destroying the image. The photosensitive material is illuminated with strong light with this flashing apparatus, so that silver halide blackens and becomes fogged and the image is destroyed.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the image destroying apparatus includes a container for holding a liquid. For example, the photosensitive material is dipped in an alkali solution bath and pigments that form the image are eluted, thereby destroying the image.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the image destroying apparatus includes a cutter for destroying the image. For example, the photosensitive material is cut by a cutting apparatus such as a shredder or the like, thereby destroying the photosensitive material image information.
A seventh aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the image destroying apparatus includes a rasp for destroying the image. For example, a file or the like scratches the surface of the photosensitive material, thereby destroying the image.
An eighth aspect of the present invention is the invention of the first aspect, wherein the image destroying apparatus includes a perforator for destroying the image. For example, awls or the like make a plurality of holes penetrating the photosensitive material, thereby destroying the image.
A ninth aspect of the present invention is a method of processing exposed photosensitive material, including the steps of: producing a visible image by heat-development processing of the exposed photosensitive material; reading and recording the visible image as image data; and destroying the visible image on the photosensitive material from which the visible image has been read and recorded as image data.